


You Are The Only Exception

by ConsultingTimeLord



Series: A Type of Ever After [2]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Drunkenness, Fluff, M/M, Protectiveness, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-24
Updated: 2014-04-24
Packaged: 2018-01-20 14:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1513997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsultingTimeLord/pseuds/ConsultingTimeLord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frederick Chilton has been invited to a gala comprised of his peers and wants to take Will with him, having never had a date to one before. The night doesn't turn out as either expects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Are The Only Exception

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone reading this! I'd just like to point out that my beta and best friend Semani has written a fic that is a part of my ongoing series for these two called [**Could Have Been Worse**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1513970) and it would be awesome if you read it. She's a great writer and it's a great fic. Thanks again.

Frederick Chilton sat in a chair, fumbling with a book, blatantly pretending to read in order to avoid eye contact with Will who had just walked through the door. Will recognized all of it as signs that Frederick had something to say to him but felt reluctant to say it. Will smiled, shook his head, and considered making him sit there a little longer before striking up a conversation, but he felt bad for him. Will set down his keys on a table and sat down on the couch.

"So, Frederick, how was your day?" he said pleasantly, opening a line of communication.

Frederick closed the book and set it down, a relieved expression on his face as if he'd been about to explode from not being able to tell anyone. "Well, work was stressful and I received an invitation to a gala comprised of my peers."

Will nodded, knowing that was exactly what he'd been hesitant to bring up. "Do you plan on going?"

Frederick frowned, looking down at his hands as he picked at his nails. "I don't know. They've never been especially enjoyable, but it might be all right."

Another smile crossed Will's face as he leaned back, resting his hands on his stomach. He knew he wanted to go and he knew that Frederick wanted him to be his plus one. He found his roundabout way of asking endearing. "You know what, why don't we go? Could be fun."

Frederick, in his tense state, visibly relaxed and his face brightened. "Really? You'd want to go?"

Will shrugged. "Why not? Might as well get out of the house. When is it?"

"It's this weekend," he said, suddenly tensing up again. "Oh, I'll have to make some preparations."

He stood up and left the room as Will resisted the urge to laugh. He felt pleased that he would have something to occupy his mind as he'd taken to moping recently, a sign that told him Frederick had received that invite a few days before he worked up the nerve to tell him. Will stood and picked up the book Frederick had left on the arm of the chair, a book about fly-fishing that he was certain he chose at random, and walked over to the bookcase to return it when Frederick walked back into the room.

"I just called my tailor and we have an appointment tomorrow at two," he said matter-of-factly as if it were a perfectly normal statement.

Will raised an eyebrow. "Tailor?"

"Well, you're going to need a very good suit. These people are hard to impress," Frederick said before leaving the room again. Will sighed and shook his head before he set the book back on its shelf. He wasn't especially looking forward to it, but something told him that Frederick hadn't really had someone to take with him to such events before, so he was willing to grin and bear it.

 

 

The next day, Frederick ushered Will out of the house for their appointment, swatting him lightly on the back of his legs with his cane. Will huffed as he dropped himself into the passenger's seat of Frederick's expensive car, semi-reluctant to go through with all the fanfare, but the spark in Frederick's eyes helped ease it a little. He held Frederick's hand as they rode, speaking a little of what might happen at the gala.

"Am I supposed to just stand there and look pretty?" Will said with a smirk.

Frederick shot that down with a serious look. "You're welcome to do what you like and talk with whomever you like."

"You're not worried I'll sully your reputation?"

"Why? Do you plan to?" he said, glancing over at Will for a moment.

Will shrugged. "Not yet."

"Wonderful," Frederick said, looking like he was trying not to roll his eyes.

Will gave a self-satisfied smile as he looked out of the window at the buildings passing by. A few minutes later, Frederick pulled into a small parking lot for a pricey-looking tailor shop. Will made an involuntary groan like a child going to the doctor as he stepped out of the car. He looked over at Frederick to try to remember why he was putting himself through the torture and carried on, walking with him into the building. They were greeted by an older woman with greying brown hair, wearing a red, flower print dress, and Frederick's face brightened at her presence.

"Georgia, lovely to see you again," he said, grabbing her hand and planting a kiss on the back of it.

"Lovely to see you too, Frederick, dear. I haven't seen you in so long," she said with a smile.

Frederick straightened his tie and looked a little flustered. "Well, I've been a bit busy. But I'm not here for me today. I'm here for my… um. This is Will."

Will stepped forward and offered his hand, which Georgia accepted. "It's nice to meet you."

She held Will's hand for a little longer than normal, appraising Will like an antique to be priced and sold. She nodded and made a sound of approval before giving Frederick a look that made him flush a bright red. She motioned them further into the shop, through a doorway and into a larger room with several full length mirrors and a circular raised platform at the center. Frederick led Will onto the platform and stepped back as Georgia approached with a tape measure in hand.

Will stood there without any autonomy, moving when Georgia told him to move as she took his measurements for a suit. When Georgia wasn't looking, Will gave Frederick increasingly irritated expressions and Frederick fought to keep his laughter in. The highlight of his day was watching Frederick with a hand pressed to his mouth and his chest heaving with silent giggles. He felt grateful when she was finally done and he could step down from the platform and rejoin Frederick.

"You should be able to pick up the suit within the next couple of days," she said with a smile.

"Thank you so much, Georgia. I trust your choices implicitly," Frederick said, tucking his cane under one arm so he could hold her hand with both of his.

"You're such a darling, Frederick," she said and turned her eyes to Will. "I'd say you make fairly good choices yourself."

Frederick turned a deep red, sputtering slightly before deciding to not respond at all.

"It was good to meet you, Will," she said to him as Frederick tried to cool down.

Will smiled and grabbed Frederick by the arm. "You too, Georgia. See you soon."

They walked out and left, returning to Will's house to settle in for the rest of the day. More accurately, Will settled in and turned on the Discovery channel and Frederick rushed around, making calls to different people until he finally flopped down on the couch in a heap. He looked exhausted and Will felt a little pity for him.

He rested his head on Frederick's shoulder and Frederick laid his cheek on Will's curls. "Is this really such a huge deal?"

"I just want everything to be right and go smoothly," Frederick said, the stress in his body leaking into his tone.

"Is there something that makes you think it won't?" Will wondered.

Frederick hesitated, taking a little longer to think before speaking. "My past experiences at these events haven't always been pleasant. I'm not exactly the most respected person in my field."

Will lifted up his head so he could look Frederick in the eye. He reached out with one hand, his fingertips touching the nape of Frederick's neck. "We're going to make them respect you," he said before leaning in for a kiss.

 

 

On the day of the gala, a cloudy Saturday with a cool breeze, Frederick returned home with a couple of suits in garment covers slung over his free arm. He startled Will who had fallen asleep in a chair with a book on his chest. He sat up, dropping the book to the floor, as Frederick closed the front door with his foot and set the bags down carefully on the couch.

He appeared strung out to a tired-eyed Will, which didn't surprise him as he had spent most of the previous night listening with great patience about what might happen and what to do in various, highly improbable situations. These ranged from spilled wine on his new suit to outright murder.

Will rubbed at his eyes and tried to make himself look as attentive as possible by sitting up straight and making his eyes slightly wider than they droopy way they felt.

"Okay, Will, go try on your suit," Frederick said, holding out one of the bags to him. "We need to start getting ready."

Will looked up at his wall clock, reading two thirty, and groaned. "It doesn't even start for another three and a half hours."

"We might want to get there a little early," Frederick said, worry in his tone.

Will grabbed the garment bag and stood up before walking to the bathroom. "I'm doing this for you, you know. Enjoy it while it lasts."

He unzipped the three-piece suit that cost more than his whole wardrobe and put it on one part at a time. A charcoal suit with a black lapel, a stark white shirt, pinstriped charcoal vest, and a silk black tie with a silver pin. All of it perfectly tailored to his body. Even he thought he looked pretty good in it. He combed down his hair and put a little gel in it to tame it into submission and slipped his glasses over his ears. He felt a room full of strangers required his glass barrier.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, Frederick was just outside waiting for him. Will watched his eyes widen as he absorbed the full picture and Will adjusted his jacket a little, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.

"So, what do you think?" Will said, trying to keep his hands still and at his sides.

"You look like a work of art," Frederick said, completely serious and awe-struck.

Will laughed, unable to hold it in. "Well, that's a new one."

Frederick stepped forward, straightening Will's tie and flattening his lapels, leaving his hands resting on Will's chest. "You're gorgeous."

"You're not half bad looking yourself, doctor," Will smirked before kissing Frederick, short and sweet.

"All right, all right, that's enough of that," Frederick said, fixing Will's suit again. "Go find a chair that isn't covered in dog hair and wait for me to get ready."

Will saluted him with a sarcastically serious expression and Frederick rolled his eyes before grabbing his own suit and heading into the bathroom. He walked onto the kitchen, brushed off one of the dining room chairs, and sat down, remembering to unbutton his suit jacket as he did so. Twenty minutes of waiting passed and Will picked up the book he dropped on the floor earlier to ease the pain of boredom but Frederick stepped out a few minutes later and walked into the dining room to meet him.

Will stood up as he walked in, words taken from his mouth. He could tell that both of their shirts, vests, and ties were the same but his suit was dark black, cutting an excellent figure, in Will's opinion. It was accented by custom gold cufflinks and a tie pin.

"How do I look?" Frederick asked nervously.

Will gave him a comforting smile. "Stunning, as usual."

Frederick sighed and shot him a look. "I'm being serious."

"So am I! You look great. Honestly," he said, grabbing his hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"Okay, good," he said, as if trying to reassuring himself. He glanced at the nearest clock and looked tense when he saw an hour had passed. "Oh, we better get going."

"Frederick, we have over two hours."

Frederick glared at him and he backed off, holding up his hands in surrender. Will slipped on his black dress shoes and followed Frederick out to his car, settling in for the hour or so long ride to the hotel the gala was being held at.

 

 

When they arrived at the hotel, they were an hour early and Frederick insisted on sitting in the car until he felt ready. Will set the seat back so he could lounge as Frederick worked through his anxieties. He knew no matter what he said, it wouldn't help him. He had to calm down through his own mental processes. When Frederick inhaled deeply and gave a short nod, Will knew it was time and they both stepped out of the car.

"You don't think we're too early do you?" Frederick said to Will in a low tone.

Will couldn't help but laugh, knowing it was only a few minutes after five and the event started at six. "I'm sure we're fine."

He rested a hand on Frederick's lower back and led him inside the hotel. The foyer looked beautiful, well lit with red patterned carpets and workers bustling around. The young woman at the front desk took their names and directed them to the ballroom. They walked in to find gorgeous wood floors, half taken up by perfectly set round tables, and a stage at the front of the room with a podium on it. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lighting up the room like bright stars. Will was the only one who seemed to notice as Frederick was preoccupied with the few people already mingling in the room.

"Frederick, relax," Will whispered in his ear. "Everything will be fine. Go talk with them, I'm going to find out where we're sitting."

He watched Frederick walk up to the handful of people, five men and three women, before wandering off to the tables. He scanned the place cards, looking for his name, and found it at a table on the far right, right next to Frederick. He walked around the table set for eight, looking at the other names, and froze when he saw one he recognized right across the table from his seat. Dr. Alana Bloom. Will rubbed his face as if he could make the information disappear from his mind.

Rather than dwell on it, he left the table and found his way to Frederick's side in the circle of people. The conversation already seemed to be awkward, but it stopped completely as soon as they all saw Will. He didn't care much but Frederick seemed slightly mortified.

"And who are you?" an older man with short white hair and a dark plaid suit asked.

Will was about to answer when Frederick jumped in. "This is Will Graham. He's my…"

"Boyfriend," Will finished easily as Frederick blushed. "It's nice to meet you all."

One of the women, a blonde woman in a black, form-fitting dress, appeared to be deep in thought for a long moment. "Will Graham. Where have I heard that name before?"

He looked to Frederick, about to inform her of his fame as a wrongfully accused killer, and Frederick shook his head, able to predict his actions already. He shrugged and thought of something else. "Oh, that's right, Frederick. You said once that I was well known in some psychiatric circles. Apparently my empathetic mind is fairly famous."

"That's right!" she said, a light bulb practically glowing above her head. "Didn't Dr. Bloom write an article about you?"

"I believe so. Haven't had a chance to read it myself," Will said with some bitterness in his tone.

The conversation picked up after that with Will chiming in when he felt he absolutely needed to, but he was content to simply stand there and wait for it all to be over. As time passed, the place filled up until it was nearly six and it looked like almost everyone was there. Will kept an alert eye out for Alana in order to avoid her, but she hadn't arrived. He didn't harbor many hard feelings. He knew she had been just as under Hannibal's spell as him. Still, he couldn't help but hold onto the grudge that she'd stopped believing in him all together.

He let himself relax anyway, grabbing a couple champagne flutes off the tray off a passing waiter and handed one to Frederick. He didn't particularly enjoy the taste but it helped him blend in and he was sure after a few of them the taste really wouldn't matter. The room was filled with the sound of white noise chatter, each person saying individual words but there were so many of them that they blended together in Will's ears. He looked over at Frederick who was talking animatedly about some new theory he hadn't been paying attention to and Will just hoped that he was having a good time.

A few minutes later, Frederick dismissed himself from the group to talk to some other people and Will was about to follow him when a hand on his arm stopped him. He froze, stared at the strange hand on his brand new suit, and followed it to a semi-handsome, brown-haired man with a nose as crooked as his awkward smile. Will frowned as the man spoke.

"Wait a second, Mr. Graham," he said, more of a demand than a request but Will obliged. "I think I speak for all of us here when I ask, why are you here with him?"

"What do you mean?" he said, glancing at all of their faces while avoiding eye contact.

"Dr. Chilton. Of all people, you're here with him? Dating him?" the blonde woman chimed in with a harsh laugh.

A crease formed between Will's eyebrows as he clenched his teeth. "What's so wrong with that?"

"He's kind of a… how do I put this," a woman with short, black hair and a green dress said. "He's kind of a loser, Mr. Graham."

Will's hands curled into fists but his expression remained calm and cool, making his next words even more impactful. "You listen here, all of you," he hissed, finally meeting their eyes. "He may not the best in his field, but he's a damn good psychiatrist. He helped me when no one else would and he did good work. I wouldn't allow any other person inside my head but him, not anymore. And I'm telling you now, as a man who was wrongly incarcerated for murder but fully capable of it, I better not hear any more of this from another mouth. Go. Tell your friends."

He shooed them off before turning to leave, walking with a lighter feeling in his chest as he rejoined Frederick. Frederick looked up at him with a curious expression and then back at the group that just dispersed.

"What was that all about?" he said in a low voice.

"They just wanted to know something about what I do. I didn't want to answer so I politely left," Will replied as he wrapped an arm around Frederick's waist.

Frederick blushed but not as hard as usual, just leaving a light pink color on his cheeks. He made sure to look everyone in the new group in the eye, setting down a challenge to say anything before a conversation even started. It was a tactic that Will discovered worked quite well as another incident didn't occur for the next half hour. After the third glass of champagne, Will excused himself to the bathroom and left the third group of people they had joined up with. He didn't need to use it; he just needed a reason for peace and quiet, finding the large group of people entirely overwhelming and draining after a while.

Instead of going to the bathroom, he merely walked out into the lobby, which had quieted down some since they'd arrived, and sat down in one of the chairs in order to rest for a few minutes. He brought down his walls, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He felt a mild buzz in his brain from the alcohol but nowhere near enough for him to actually enjoy himself. He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, enjoying the peace for what he counted out to be about five minutes before he slid his glasses back on and returned to the ballroom.

As he stepped through the doors, he immediately sensed that the room was much more tense than when he left it. His eyes glided over the people who looked to be trying to ignore something or someone when he spotted the source of their discomfort. Frederick and another man appeared to be having an altercation and, though their voices were toned down, it seemed to be heated. Will rushed to his side, picking up the end of a long reply on his way there.

"—far away from him. I don't even want to hear you say his name. He's been put through enough and doesn't deserve to be degraded into a rotting meal for a room full of vultures," Frederick hissed, his face contorted in anger.

"Hey, what is going on?" Will said, both curious and concerned.

"Nothing, Will," Frederick said, tearing his eyes away from the older white-haired man Will recognized from earlier. "Come on, we're leaving."

He grabbed Will's hand and led him out of the ballroom as the majority of those in the room followed them with their eyes. Will let Frederick bring him out of the building because he felt no real sadness in leaving that party, but once they were outside, he stopped, forcing Frederick to stop with him. Frederick looked like he just wanted to keep moving, like he would walk all the way home if need be.

"What's wrong? What happened in there?" Will said, keeping a hold on his hand.

Frederick held his cane in a tight grip with his other hand, avoiding eye contact with Will by looking anywhere but his face. "They were talking about you."

"Saying what?"

"The same things I used to," Frederick said, staring at his shiny black shoes. "About wanting to get inside your head."

Will grabbed Frederick's face and tilted it so that they were looking each other in the eye. He even let go of his hand so he could reach up and remove his glasses. "I don't care what they said or what you used to say. They don't matter to me. They can wish all they'd like about examining the contents of my head. You matter to me, just as you are now."

He leaned in and kissed Frederick on the forehead before wrapping an arm around his shoulders to lead him to the car. "You just relax, I'll drive. I have a place in mind where we can go with better drinks and more fun than that hell hole."

"Thank you, Will," Frederick said, wrapping an arm around Will's waist. "For forgiving me."

"Thank you, Frederick," Will said with a smirk. "For defending my honor."

 

 

An hour later, Will pulled up to an old-looking bar outside of Wolf Trap simply called Scott's Bar and Grill. He parked the ridiculously expensive car and they stepped out in their ridiculously expensive suits and walked inside to a few curious stares from the handful of men sitting at the tables and bar. The inside was one large room filled with tables, a couple of pool tables, and a long bar that seated up to twelve. Behind the bar was an open window to show the kitchen in the back as well as a middle-aged man with olive tanned skin and brown hair that turned grey at the temples. The man looked at the two in confusion but it quickly turned into recognition.

"Will!" the man called, waving him over, his voice deep and inviting.

Will grabbed Frederick by the sleeve and dragged him over to the bar where they sat down. "Hey, Scott. It's good to see you."

"You too, my friend," he said, his expression genuine in his pleasure to see Will there. "What's with the clothes? You just come from a wedding?"

Will laughed. "No, we came from some boring event for people in the psychology field."

At the word 'we', Scott turned and looked at Frederick who had been silent and avoiding looking at anyone for too long. "Who's your friend here?"

"Dr. Frederick Chilton," Frederick chimed in, holding out his hand in greeting which Scott warmly shook.

"A doctor, eh? I don't see many doctor types in here," Scott said, his tone teasing but he was friendly, Will knew.

"We were out on kind of a date. He brought me to that event which we both decided was awful, so I brought him here," Will explained as Frederick tried to sink into the bar stool.

Scott smiled at them. "Well, I'm honored." His smile slipped a little when he looked at Frederick, seeing how awkward he felt from a glance. "Hey, Frederick, don't worry about it. I know how embarrassing boyfriends can be. You should meet mine. I keep him in the kitchen for a reason. How 'bout I bring out a couple of beers?"

"That would be great. Thank you," Will said with a smile.

Frederick looked from Scott to Will, looking a little more relaxed than he had a moment ago.

"This is my favorite bar," Will said, scanning around the place as he lounged with one arm on the bar. "I don't go out drinking often but when I do, I go here."

Scott returned a minute later with two bottles of beer and set them down before leaving to take someone else's drink order.

"I've never been in a bar like this," Frederick said, taking the beer and staring at it before he drank from it.

"I didn't think so," Will said with a grin. "It'll be fun. One of the pool tables is open. You know how to play?"

"I understand the general premise," Frederick replied as they stood up with their drinks and walked over to the table.

Will set his beer down on the edge of the table and took off his jacket, draping it over a nearby chair. Frederick followed suit, rolling up his sleeves after just as Will did. Will tossed him one of the pool cues before setting up the balls, placing the cue ball at the other end. Then he stepped back and motioned for Frederick to go.

"You can break," he said, watching as Frederick took his position in front of the cue ball and lined up a shot.

When he hit the ball, it rocketed into the others, effectively breaking them up and dropping the solid blue two ball into the middle left hand pocket. Will's eyes widened for a moment before he broke out into a smile at the look Frederick shot him. One of knowing superiority.

"So, you understand the general premise, huh? Why do I feel like I just got hustled?"

Frederick shrugged before lining up his next shot, aiming for the seven ball that had traveled down the table. "I have no idea what you mean."

Will laughed, resting his pool cue against the wall before picking up his beer. He took a long drink as Frederick sunk the seven ball in the bottom right pocket.

 

 

Will and Frederick sat at a small, round table that was littered with empty brown beer bottles, both men having said goodbye to their senses and inhibitions an hour before. They were the last two in the bar and Scott was in the process of closing up, but he didn't seem irritated the two were still there. Will was leaning back in his chair, his hands on his stomach, his mind not quite all there. It felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. He felt happy. Frederick leaned on the table, his head resting on his arms as he looked up at Will.

"You are so… pretty," Frederick said, his words slurred from a heavy tongue. "So pretty. I have never seen another man as pretty as you."

"Thank you?" Will replied with a giggle, not exactly processing his words.

"I don't understand it," Frederick said, his brow furrowing.

"Understand what?"

"Why someone as pretty as you is with… this," he said, gesturing wildly at himself as he sat up.

Will grabbed Frederick's face in his hands staring at him hard for a long moment. "I dunno, I think you're cute. Kinda like an angry koala bear," he said before letting his face go and booping him on the nose.

Frederick wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "S'not just that. I'm. I feel like an awful person. Sometimes."

Will shook his head back and drew him into a tight hug. "Freder-, um, Fred, I can't say your name right now. But you're not awful. You kind of were. But you're not the same man you were. Okay? And I love this new man very much."

Frederick nodded into Will's chest before hugging him back. "I love you too."

Scott approached the table, drawing their attention. "The cab I called for you guys is outside. I told them your address, Will."

Will nodded. "Thanks, Scott. C'mon, koala bear."

He grabbed Frederick's hand and stood up, stumbling a little but staying on his feet. The two of them grabbed their jackets and supported each other on their way out the door, Will's arm around Frederick's shoulders and Frederick's around Will's waist. They wavered slightly as they bent down to get in the back of the cab but managed to maintain their dignity. Frederick reached over to Will's hand once they were settled in and laced their fingers together.

"This has been one of the best nights," he said, causing Will to smile. "I hope I remember it in the morning."


End file.
